Making memories, not sitting at my desk thinking about it
I love my life! After living on Simplicity for 6 ½ years I am excited to share this world, continue our adventures, and sometimes just thinking about where we have been, what we have done, who we have met, how our travels have involved our family, and looking at the magnificent sunrise, and sunset photos we have witnessed.
For us our boat is perfect, easy for the two of us to manage the required maintenance, love and care. Not being afraid to jump in and doing something we have not done before.
Thankful for Google and having video resources to show us the way. Having fun, as our expertise becomes greater.
en years ago, we purchased Simplicity and our lives, the pace of life, responsibilities were very different. I owned an award-winning Sales & Marketing Company with two locations, Boise, ID and Austin, TX with a headquarter property of 6500 sq. ft. Hugh was traveling a lot, for his position at Dell. Buying the boat in Seattle, was an easy commute from Boise. The Elliot Bay Marina was perfect, and we spent April – August learning. The trajectory was steep. By mid-July we did a “shake-down” cruise to the San Juan Islands. The Northwest is so beautiful.
Mount Rainer always looming in the background, the Olympic Mountains the sparkling waters of the Pacific. The beautiful lush green walls of trees everywhere. In our backyard, the Cruise ships and skyline of Seattle. Our introduction to characters truly began here. Swagman, and Blue come to mind. Swagman was the past Harbor Master who worked the Marina store part-time, flamed steaks every Sunday night from the back of his boat. Blue was the young, cool Seattle entrepreneur that had a newer cool Elan sailing vessel. He hung out in his hammock a lot and always was around.
We planned our passage to California, no small undertaking. I was adamant that I was not going to spend a winter in Seattle. Summer yes, and the validation was sweet, when we were watching a Mariners game upon our arrival in LA and it was raining buckets 4 days straight.
Redondo Beach, King Harbor Marina was filled to the brim with characters. It began with our arrival and trained us for our future in boating.
Incredible sailors, who loved to sail, loved to share their knowledge and were fun, smart, guys with stories, recommendations and lived their private slice of heaven on their boats. The dock overseer was 5 boats down, and one would think he had video cameras strategically placed throughout the marine. He always knew where, when, and who was on the dock. Our direct boat neighbors topped the list of “characters”. Darren, the owner of a 1980’s Chris Craft that had no working engine, plumbing, and was covered in a green sheath of moss. His 5 little braids reached his waist, and most men on the dock preferred to be shirtless. Oh, what a vision he was. At 50 something, he rode his bike to Venice every day and back, he was the no.1 “jump-boot” distributor in N. A. from his boat. He would sit in his boat day in and day out responding, processing orders and keeping the world fit. Did I mention that he had a microwave and Nutri-bullet, and that was his extent of his kitchen.
We would fly into LA every two weeks, always spending at least 4 days on Simplicity. We would stop at Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods and provision and head to the marina. The weather was almost always perfect for our adventures to Catalina, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Dana Point, Newport Beach, Long Beach, Malibu, San Diego. The weather was easy, predictable, and consistent. Every day you could sail to Santa Monica on a beam-reach and it was perfect.
We had so much marine life, from Dolphins, Whales, Sea Lions, and Sea Otters, in retrospect it was plentiful. Sunshine was ever-present, fresh breezes, sometimes requiring a sweater. The hiking on Catalina was stellar, even for those who would never call themselves a hiker. Fun, easy, and a hit to the wallet. These memories are priceless…
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Written by: Deb Marlor
